Our Top Tips for Keeping Cool in SummerWithout an Air-Con!

In these disgustingly hot months, it’s tempting to turn on the Air-Con or take a seat in front of the closest fan. But these aren’t the only tricks available for you to keep cool. It turns out there are plenty of ways to buffer your home from the heat without racking up your electric bill.

1. Swap over your sheets Switching your bed linens will freshen up the room, as well as keep you cool in the hot seasons. While flannel sheets and fleece blankets are fantastic for keeping in the heat in winter, cotton is a smarter move this time of year it’s breathable and excellent for promoting ventilation and airflow.

2. Keep your blinds closed As obvious as this tip might seem, closing your blinds basically prevents your home from becoming a miniature greenhouse, which is especially the case with south- and west-facing windows.

3. Or you could just invest in some blackout curtains Blackout curtains essentially block sunlight, this then naturally insulates the rooms in which they’ve been installed into.

4. Be smart about your doors If you close off the doors to unused rooms in your home, this will prevent the cool air from escaping and in turn making the rooms you are using warmer than needed. You’ll also want to exploit the cooler night hours too, letting air flow in naturally through your house.

5. Turn on a fan instead of turning on the Air-Con Make a DIY air conditioner by using a shallow pan or bowl full of ice and positioning it at an angle in front of a large fan so the air whips off the ice. The breeze will pick up cold water from the ice’s surface as it melts, creating a cooling mist.

6. Set your ceiling fans to “Summer Mode” You may not realize that your ceiling fan needs to be adjusted seasonally. Set your fan on “summer mode” or to run counter-clockwise in the summer at a higher speed, the fan’s airflow will create a wind-chill breeze effect that will make you feel much cooler.

7. Focus on the temperature in your body, not the house If your ancestors managed to survive without air conditioning, as can you. To cool down super-fast, apply some ice packs to pulse points such as; your wrists, neck, elbows, groin, ankles, and behind the knees.

8. Heat-proof your bed Go straight to the source, and put a cool pillow under your head while you sleep. For feet, fill a water bottle, and put it in the freezer before placing it at the foot of your bed. And it sounds strange, but slightly dampening your sheets or popping them in the freezer before bedtime will majorly help you chill out.

9. Sleep low Hot air rises, so set up your bed as close to the ground as possible to beat the heat. In a one-story home, this means pulling your mattress down from a high bed frame and chucking it on the floor. If you live in a multi-story house or apartment, try sleeping on the lowest level possible or in the basement instead of an upper story.

10. Long-term improvements If you’re completely set on the whole no Air-Con thing, you can try making a couple more permanent changes to your home that will keep it cool for seasons to come. For example, insulated window films, these are a smart purchase as they work similarly to blinds. Additions like awnings or planting trees/vines near your windows will shield the house from the blinding sun. This tip can help reduce the amount of heat your home absorbs and make your investment even more worthwhile!

About Chloe Ipsen

Chloe Ipsen is our in-house digital prodigy. Graphic Designer and Floor Plan artist, she is our go-to girl for images that tell a bigger story. Chloe's work creates a lasting impression of value for the properties we represent.